Mizoram govt to implement National Food Security Ordinance

Aizawl: Mizoram government is making arrangements for implementation of the National Food Security Ordinance within the time frame, state Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs minister H Rohluna said on Wednesday.

Making a statement in the Assembly, Rohluna said there were issues to be solved before actual implementation and Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla had taken it up with the Centre.

Of the total population of around ten lakh, 6.33 lakh people (38.74 per cent in urban and 78.47 per cent in rural areas) would be covered by the National Food Security scheme in accordance with tentative figures released by the National Sample Survey, he said.

Mizoram would receive around 31,650 quintal of rice per month under the scheme as per this figure, he said adding, the state's additional requirement would be 1,01,350 quintal.

The additional requirement would cost the state exchequer an additional amount of Rs two crore per month, Rohluna said.

If the Centre discontinued the current allocation of rice under Public Distribution Scheme (PDS), the state government would have to bear an additional Rs 7. 82 crore per month, he said.

Earlier, the Chief Minister told reporters on his return to Aizawl after attending the meeting of Congress chief ministers in New Delhi, the state would not be able to implement the Food Security scheme.

Lal Thanhawla said he had informed central leaders about the state's inability to roll out the scheme due to financial problem and that the state needed financial assistance from the Centre.